Display device for vehicle

ABSTRACT

A display device for a vehicle comprises an instrument for a vehicle ( 1 ), which includes a plate having a surface on which characters are provided ( 8 ), an indicating needle ( 7 ) rotatably disposed along a surface of the plate ( 8 ), and a transparent cover ( 25 ) disposed in a surface side of the plate ( 8 ) separately from the plate ( 8 ), and a small display portion ( 35 ) is disposed in a portion of the transparent cover ( 25 ) to be a floating state to the plate ( 8 ), and a new visual effect having a stereoscopic feeling can be obtained because the small display portion ( 35 ) can be seen as the floating state to the surface of the plate ( 8 ).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a display device for a vehiclesuch as an instrument or the like which is used for a vehicle or thelike.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] For a vehicle such as an automobile or the like, an instrumentpanel portion of a front part of a passenger compartment panel isprovided with an indicating instrument (an instrument for a vehicle)having a plurality of instrument parts such as a speed meter, atachometer, a coolant temperature gauge, odo meter, trip meter, and soon.

[0005] In such an instrument for a vehicle, there is provided that aperipheral of an instrument part is adopted to be emitted a light with aring-shaped as described in Japanese Paten Laid-Open 2002-81966.

[0006] However, the instrument for the vehicle according to theabove-mentioned Japanese Patent Laid Open has had a very complicatedconstruction and has required much cost for parts.

[0007] Moreover, as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open 2000-108722,there is provided an instrument for a vehicle including a small displaysection having a segment display section and a free display section on abase of indicating needle in a plate with characters.

[0008] However, in the aforementioned instruments for the vehicle, thesmall display section is disposed almost in the same plane to the platewith the characters. The small display section and the plate with thecharacters are seen on a flat plane because the small display section isvisualized as if it is existed almost on the same plane with the platefor characters. Therefore, there has been a problem that a sufficientvisual effect can not be obtained.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] It is therefore, a first object of the present invention is tosolve the above problems, and to provide an instrument for a vehiclewhich can reduce cost for parts by simplifying a construction.

[0010] A second object of the present invention is to solve the aboveproblems, and to provide a new visual effect by constructing a smalldisplay portion which can be seen as a stereoscopic feeling.

[0011] In order to achieve the above first object, according to thepresent invention, in an instrument for a vehicle which supports atransparent cover with a space from a surface of a plate with charactersby an outer periphery wall member of cylinder shape surrounding aperiphery of the surface side of the plate, the transparent cover isformed with a mountain shape in section so as to reflect an outsidelight toward an inside face of the outer periphery wall member, and theouter periphery wall member is formed by a transparent material havingthe similar quality of material with the transparent cover, and a lightemitting portion is formed in a tip edge portion of the outer peripherywall member by disposing concealing means in side faces of the outerperiphery wall member, and an illumination light from a light sourcewhich is disposed in back end of edge portion side of the outerperiphery wall member, and a foot portion of the transparent cover ofmountain shape in section is connected to a back end of edge portion ofthe outer periphery wall member.

[0012] As mentioned-above, the outer periphery wall member of cylinderfor surrounding the periphery of surface side of the plate with thecharacters is formed with the transparent material having the similarquality of member with the transparent cover, and the concealing meansis applied to the side wall of the outer periphery wall member, then theouter periphery wall member is used as a light guiding unit by disposingthe light source in the back end of edge portion side of the outerperiphery wall member, and the tip edge portion of the outer peripherywall member can be illuminated as a ring-shaped as the light emittingportion, therefore, a new visual effect can be obtained. Moreover, byconnecting the transparent cover and the outer periphery wall membertogether, a construction can be simplified, and functions can beaggregated, then cost for parts can be reduced.

[0013] The concealing means of the side faces of the outer peripherywall member is constructed by means of an internal cylinder member andan external cylinder member, and the outer periphery wall member isadopted to be contained between the internal and external cylindermembers. By carrying out the concealing means to the side faces of theouter periphery wall member with the internal and external cylindermembers, the concealing means can be conducted securely, and a highergrade of external appearance quality can be obtained.

[0014] A light emitting ring member in which an inner periphery face andan outer periphery face of the light emitting ring member is adopted tobecome the same faces with an inner periphery face of the internalcylinder member and an outer periphery face of the external cylindermember is disposed in a light emitting portion of a tip edge portion ofthe outer periphery wall member separately from the internal cylindermember and the external cylinder member. By disposing the light emittingring member in the light emitting portion of the tip edge portion of theouter periphery wall member, a higher quality for an emission of lightof the light emitting portion can be obtained. Moreover, disposing thelight emitting ring member separately from the internal and externalcylinder members can make a fabrication easy. A sense of continuity anda sense of uniformity can be obtained by disposing the inner peripheryand outer periphery faces of the light emitting ring member in the sameface with the internal and external cylinder members.

[0015] The light emitting ring member includes a metallic gloss, and asurface treatment of thin layer, which is capable of transmitting anillumination light, is applied to the light emitting ring member. Bythis surface treatment applied to the light emitting ring member, thelight emitting ring member can be seen as a metallic gloss face when thelight emitting ring member is not illuminated, and a colored light whichtransmits the surface treatment can be seen when the light emitting ringmember is illuminated.

[0016] In order to achieve the above second object, according to thepresent invention, in an instrument for a vehicle in which an indicatingneedle is disposed rotatably along a surface of a plate with characters,and a transparent cover is disposed separately from the plate in thesurface side of the plate, a small display portion is disposed in thetransparent cover portion with a floating state. Therefore, a new visualeffect having a stereoscopic feeling can be obtained because the smalldisplay portion can be seen as the floating state to a surface of thesmall display portion.

[0017] The small display portion is disposed in a position which isoverlapped with a base portion of the indicating needle of transparentcover. By disposing the small display portion in the position which isoverlapped with the base portion of the indicating needle, the smalldisplay portion can be disposed in a portion which can be seen easilyand does not disturb the plate.

[0018] The small display portion is contained in a housing, and anoutside face of the housing and a base portion of the indicating needleare arranged approximately concentrically, or the outside face of thehousing is constructed to have a larger diameter than the base portionof the indicating needle. A good external appearance of the smalldisplay portion can be obtained by arranging the outside face of thehousing for containing the small display portion and the outside face ofthe base portion of the indicating needle approximately concentricallyor by setting the outside face of the housing to have the largerdiameter than the outside face of the base portion of the indicatingneedle.

[0019] Moreover, the outside face of the housing of the small displayportion is extended as a taper shape tapering interiorly as approachingto the plate. A wider display area of the plate can be ensured and thehousing of the small display portion can be effectively concealed froman eye line by adopting the taper shape for the outside face of thehousing of the small display portion tapering interiorly as approachingto the plate.

[0020] A passage hole which lets through a harness for supplying powerto said small display portion is disposed in a base portion of theindicating needle, and the passage hole is adopted as a non-interferenceshape in which a harness does not interfere to a rotation of theindicating needle. By disposing the passage hole, which lets through theharness for supplying the power to the small display portion, in thebase portion of the indicating needle, the power can be effectivelysupplied to the small display portion through the harness. By adoptingthe passage hole as the non-interference shape with the harness, theharness does not interfere to the rotating indicating needle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a displaydevice for a vehicle according to the present invention.

[0022]FIG. 2 is a front view of FIG. 1.

[0023]FIG. 3 is a cross section view of FIG. 2.

[0024]FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section view of the center of aninstrument part.

[0025]FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section view of the side portion of aninstrument part.

[0026]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an indicating needle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] Embodiments of the present invention will be described as followswith reference to the drawings. First of all, a configuration will beexplained. A front part of passenger compartment in a vehicle such as anautomobile and so on is provided with an instrument panel P. Such aninstrument panel is provided with an indicating instrument or aninstrument for a vehicle 1 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. This indicatinginstrument or this instrument for the vehicle 1 comprises a plurality ofinstrument parts 2. Each of instrument parts 2 is constructed by, forexample a speed meter 3, a tachometer 4, a coolant temperature gauge 5,a fuel gauge 6 and so on.

[0028] Each of the instrument parts 2 comprises a base 11 which includesa plate having a surface on which characters are provided 8 having arotation area of an indicating needle 7, a movement 9 which rotates theindicating needle 7, a light source 10 of LED or the like forilluminating and so on as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5.

[0029] The base 11 is disposed in the reverse face of the plate 8 havinga predetermined distance. The plate 8 and the base 11 are contained in acase 12.

[0030] A shaft hole for an indicating needle 13 is formed in anapproximately center portion of the rotation area of the indicatingneedle 7 in the plate 8. An output shaft (an indicating needle shaft 14)of the movement 9 is passed through this shaft hole for the indicatingneedle 13. The tip of this indicating needle shaft 14 is provided with abase portion 15 (a rotation center of indicating needle) of theindicating needle 7. The base portion 15 of this indicating needle 7 isprovided with an indicating needle cap 16 of approximately cylindershape.

[0031] A display portion of a character scale or the like such as ascale mark, a value and so on is formed roundly in the periphery portionof the rotation area of the indicating needle 7. Here, the plate 8comprises a transparent plate made of resin. This plate 8 is printednon-translucently except the display portion of the character scale orthe like, and then a translucent display portion of the character scaleis formed. A light guiding unit 17 for guiding an illumination lightfrom the light source 10 to the display portion of the character scaleor the like in the plate 8 is disposed in the reverse face of the plate8.

[0032] The plate 8 is an approximately round shape as viewed from thetop, and also the plate 8 is an approximately concave shape as viewedfrom the side face. Correspondingly, the side face shape of theindicating needle 7 is adopted to be a curvature shape along the concaveshape of the plate 8. The base portion 15 of the indicating needle 7 isprovided with a light source 18 in which the indicating needle 7 isemitted light.

[0033] In the instrument for the vehicle 1 of this embodiment, it shouldbe drawn attention that the above each instrument part 2 is adopted as amonocular meter as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0034] In other words, each of the instrument parts 2 is respectivelyexisted by providing outer periphery wall member 21 of tubular shape forsurrounding the periphery of the surface side of the plate 8, and theneach of the instrument parts 2 is adopted as the monocular meter. Thecoolant temperature gauge 5 and the fuel gauge 6 are contained in thesame outer periphery wall member 21. A triple monocular meter is therebyadopted. Connecting portions 22 of approximately round shape are existedbetween the outer periphery wall members 21. Each of the outer peripherywall members 21 of triple monocular meter is connected by means of theconnecting portion 22 of an approximately round shape by covering theouter periphery wall member 21, and the meter design is therebyconstructed. Each of these connecting portions 22 is provided with awarning light 23 and so on.

[0035] In this embodiment, one meter of the triple monocular meter willbe explained as an example.

[0036] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, a transparent cover 25 is supported bymeans of the outer periphery wall member 21 by spacing from the surfaceof the plate 8.

[0037] The transparent cover 25 is formed as a mountain shape insection, so an outside light is reflected toward the inside face of theouter periphery wall member 21.

[0038] Moreover, the outer periphery wall member 21 is formed by meansof a transparent material having the similar quality of material as thetransparent cover 25. Side faces 21 a and 21 b of the outer peripherywall member 21 are provided with concealing means, so a tip edge portion21 c of the outer periphery wall member 21 is adopted to be a lightemitting portion 26.

[0039] The light source 10 is provided with a back end of edge portion21 d of the outer periphery wall member 21 so as to guide anillumination light from this light source 10 to the light emittingportion 26. The above light source 10 for illumination is disposed in aportion where is the periphery portion of the plate 8, a back endportion 17 a of the light guiding unit 17, and the back end of edgeportion 21 d of the outer periphery member 21, then the light source 10is thereby adopted to be shared. For example, LED is used as this lightsource 10. A plurality of the light sources 10 is disposed in theperiphery direction of the outer periphery wall member 21 with apredetermined space. For instance, about 10 to 12 light sources 10 aredisposed.

[0040] A foot portion 25 a of the transparent cover 25 having themountain shape in section is connected to the back end of edge portion21 d of the outer periphery wall member 21.

[0041] The concealing means of the side faces 21 a and 21 b of the outerperiphery wall member 21 are constructed by an inner cylinder member 28and an external cylinder member 29, the outer periphery wall member 21is contained therebetween. Moreover, the concealing means of the sidefaces 21 a and 21 b of the outer periphery wall member 21 can beconstructed by coating.

[0042] A light emitting ring member 31 in which an inner periphery faceand an outer periphery face of the light emitting ring member 31 isadopted to become the same faces with an inner periphery face of theinternal cylinder member 28 and an outer periphery face of the externalcylinder member 29 is disposed in a light emitting portion 26 of a tipedge portion 21 c of the outer periphery wall member 21 separately fromthe internal cylinder member 28 and the external cylinder member 29.

[0043] A surface treatment 32 of thin layer, which has a metallic glossand can penetrate an illumination light, is applied on the surface ofthe light emitting ring member 31.

[0044] In the instrument for the vehicle 1 of this embodiment, a smalldisplay portion 35 is disposed in the transparent cover 25 to become afloating state to the plate 8. This small display portion 35 is adoptedto display, for example, a shifting range display, a directionindication display and so on.

[0045] The small display portion 35 can be disposed in any position ofthe transparent cover 25, but is preferably disposed in a position whereis overlapped with the base portion 15 of the indicating needle 7 of thetransparent cover 25. In other words, this small display portion 35 isdisposed and fixed in the reverse face of a top portion 25 b in themountain shape of the transparent cover 25.

[0046] This small display portion 35 is constructed by a short-shapedLCD panel or EL panel, and a diffusion plate 36 is adhered to the rearface of the small display portion 35, then is adopted to be illuminatedfrom the back of the diffusion plate by a back light 37. For example,LED is used for this back light 37. The small display portion 35, thediffusion plate 36, and the back light 37 are contained in a housing 38of approximately cylinder shape.

[0047] The top portion 25 b of the transparent cover 25 is formed withan opening portion 39 having a similar diameter to the leading end ofthe housing 38. A light shielding plate 40 is disposed in the openingportion 39. The above-mentioned small display section 35 is disposedclosely to the reverse face of this light shielding plate 40. Thecircumference of the housing 38 is supported by means of the edgeportion of the reverse face side of the opening portion 39. Moreover, alens 41 of ring-shaped is projected and formed in the edge portion ofthe surface side of the opening portion 39.

[0048] It is preferable to construct that an outside face 38 a of thehousing 38 for containing the small display section 35 is arrangedconcentrically with the outside face 15 a of the base portion 15 of theindicating needle 7. It is also preferable to construct that the outsideface 38 a of the housing 38 is to be a larger diameter than the outsideface 15 a. In other words, the outside face 15 a of the base portion 15of the indicating needle 7 is constructed to be a smaller diameter thanthe outside face 38 a of the housing 38. A small space 42 is interposedbetween the outside face 38 a of the housing 38 and the indicatingneedle cap 16.

[0049] Furthermore, it is also preferable for the outside face 38 a ofthe housing 38 of the small display portion 35 to be adopted as a tapershape tapering interiorly as approaching to the plate 8. The outsideface 15 a of the indicating needle cap 16 can be adopted as a tapershape tapering interiorly as approaching to the plate 8.

[0050] The indicating needle cap 16, which is disposed in the baseportion 15 of the indicating needle 7, is provided with a passage hole44 which lets through a harness 43 for supplying power to the smalldisplay portion 35 and the back light 37. The passage hole 44 is alsoadopted as a non-interference shape in which the harness 43 does notinterfere to the rotation of the indicating needle 7.

[0051] Functions of the above-mentioned embodiment will be explained asfollows.

[0052] According to the embodiment, the outer periphery wall portion 21of cylinder shape surrounding the periphery of surface side of the plate8 is formed by a transparent material having the same quality ofmaterial with the transparent cover 25, and the side faces 21 a and 21 bof the outer periphery wall member 21 are arranged as the concealingmeans, then light source 10 is disposed in the back end of edge portion21 d of the outer periphery wall member 21. Therefore, the outerperiphery wall member 21 is used as the light guiding unit 17, and thetip edge portion 21 c of the outer periphery wall member 21 can beilluminated with a ring-shaped as the light emitting portion 26,therefore, a new visual effect can be obtained.

[0053] Connecting the transparent cover 25 and the outer periphery wallmember 21 together can simplify the construction and can aggregate thefunctions, so parts costs can be reduced.

[0054] The concealing means for the side faces 21 a and 21 b of theouter periphery wall member 21 are provided by using the internalcylinder member 28 and the external cylinder member 29, therefore, theconcealing means can be securely carried out, and a higher grade ofexternal appearance can be obtained as well.

[0055] A higher quality of the emission of light of the light emittingportion 26 can be obtained by providing the light emitting ring member31 in the light emitting portion 26 of the tip edge portion 21 c of theouter periphery wall member 21.

[0056] Disposing the light emitting ring member 31 separately to theinternal cylinder member 28 and the external cylinder member 29 can makethe fabrication easy. Moreover, a sense of continuity and a sense ofuniformity can be obtained by providing the inner and periphery faces ofthe light emitting ring member 31 on the same face of the internalcylinder member 28 and the external cylinder member 29.

[0057] By the surface treatment 32 of the thin layer which is applied tothe light emitting ring member 31, the light emitting ring member 31 canbe the metallic gloss face when the light emitting ring member 31 is notilluminated, and a colored light which penetrates the surface treatment32 can be seen when the light emitting ring member 31 is illuminated.

[0058] According to the embodiment, the transparent cover 25 is providedwith the small display portion 35 which is adopted to become thefloating state to the plate 8, therefore, the small display portion 35can be seen as the floating state to the surface of the plate 8, so thenew visual effect having a stereoscopic feeling can be obtained.

[0059] The small display portion 35 can be disposed in a position whichis easy to be seen and does not disturb the plate 8 by disposing thesmall display portion 35 in the position which is overlapped with thebase portion 15 of the indicating needle 7.

[0060] A good external appearance of small display portion 35 can beobtained by arranging the outside face 38 a of the housing 38 forcontaining the small display portion 35, or by setting the diameter ofthe outside face 38 a of housing 38 larger than the diameter of theoutside face 15 a of the base portion 15 of the indicating needle 7.

[0061] By adopting the taper shape for the outside face 38 a of thehousing 38 of the small display portion 35 tapering interiorly asapproaching to the plate 8, a wider display area of the plate 8 can beensured, and the outside face 38 a of the housing 38 of the smalldisplay portion 35 can be concealed effectively from an eye line.Correspondingly, by adopting the taper shape for the outside face 15 aof the base portion 15 of the indicating needle 7 tapering interiorly asapproaching to the plate 8, a wider display area of the plate 8 can beensured, and the outside face 38 a of the housing 38 of the smalldisplay portion 35 can be concealed effectively from an eye line.

[0062] Power can be supplied effectively to the small display portion 35through the harness 43 by providing the passage hole 44 which letsthrough the harness 43. Moreover, by adopting the non-interference shapein which the passage hole 44 does not interfere to the harness 43, theharness 43 does not interfere to the rotating indicating needle 7.

[0063] The power can be supplied to the small display portion 35 by useof a non-contact type without using the harness 43. In this case, thepassage hole 44 is not necessary to be disposed in the base portion 15of the indicating needle 7.

[0064] Please amend the specification as follows:

[0065] Page 14, after line 23, insert the following paragraph:

[0066] This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application2002-295618, filed Oct. 9, 2002, and Japanese Patent Application2002-295619, filed Oct. 9, 2002, both of which are incorporated hereinby reference in their entirety.

What is claimed is:
 1. An instrument for a vehicle comprising: a platehaving a surface on which characters are provided; an outer peripherywall member of a cylinder shape for surrounding a periphery of saidplate on the surface side; and a transparent cover which is supported bysaid outer periphery wall member with a space from said plate, whereinsaid transparent cover is formed with a mountain shape in section so asto reflect an outside light toward an inside face of said outerperiphery wall member, and said outer periphery wall member is formed bya transparent material having the similar quality of material with saidtransparent cover, wherein, a light emitting portion is formed in a tipedge portion of the outer periphery wall member by disposing concealingmeans in side faces of the outer periphery wall member, an illuminationlight from a light source which is disposed in a back end of edgeportion side of said outer periphery wall member, and a foot portion ofsaid transparent cover of the mountain shape in section is connected toa back end of edge portion of said outer periphery wall member.
 2. Theinstrument for the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the concealingmeans provided on the side faces of said outer periphery wall member isconstructed by an internal cylinder member and an external cylindermember, and said outer periphery wall member is contained between theinternal cylinder member and the external cylinder member.
 3. Theinstrument for the vehicle according to claim 2, wherein a lightemitting ring member in which an inner periphery face and an outerperiphery face of the light emitting ring member is adopted to becomethe same faces with an inner periphery face of the internal cylindermember and an outer periphery face of the external cylinder member isdisposed in a light emitting portion of a tip edge portion of said outerperiphery wall member separately from the internal cylinder member andthe external cylinder member.
 4. The instrument for the vehicleaccording to claim 3, wherein said light emitting ring member includes ametallic gloss, and a surface treatment of thin layer which is capableof transmitting an illumination light is applied to the light emittingring member.
 5. A display device for a vehicle comprising: a platehaving a surface on which characters are provided; an indicating needlewhich is disposed rotatably along the surface of the plate; and atransparent cover which is disposed separately from the plate in thesurface side of the plate, wherein a small display section is providedin said transparent cover so as to become a floating state to the plate.6. The display device for the vehicle according to claim 5, wherein saidsmall display portion is disposed in a position which is overlapped witha base portion of said indicating needle of transparent cover.
 7. Thedisplay device for the vehicle according to claim 5, wherein said smalldisplay portion is contained in a housing, and an outside face of thehousing and a base portion of said indicating needle are arrangedapproximately concentrically, or the outside face of said housing isconstructed to have a larger diameter than the base portion of theindicating needle.
 8. The display device for the vehicle according toclaim 7, wherein the outside face of the housing of said small displayportion is extended as a taper shape tapering interiorly as approachingto said plate.
 9. The display device for the vehicle according to claim5, wherein a passage hole which lets through a harness for supplyingpower to said small display portion is disposed in a base portion ofsaid indicating needle, and the passage hole is adopted as anon-interference shape in which a harness does not interfere to arotation of the indicating needle.